Interview with Cheryl Hollon, author of Etched in Tears

What can you tell us about your new release, Etched in Tears?

This is Book #4 in the Webb’s Glass Shop Mysteries. When a famous glass artist is murdered at his own exhibit, deadly secrets are put on display, and it’s up to glass shop owner Savannah Webb to see through a killer’s cover.

Celebrated glass artist Dennis Lansing is returning to St. Petersburg, Florida, for an exhibit at the world-renowned Salvador Dali Museum. His unique style of embedding document images in his art is at the vanguard of contemporary glasswork. But as Savannah’s first boyfriend and a former apprentice to her father, Dennis’s return home has her reflecting on the past—a trip down memory lane that takes a dark turn when Dennis is found murdered at the museum with an old reference letter from her father in his pocket. A search through her father’s records sheds new light on Dennis’s history, but it seems his present life wasn’t so transparent either. Now, with a gallery of suspects to consider, it’s up to Savannah to figure out who fits the mold of a murderer.

What’s the last book you read?

The Seagull: A Vera Stanhope Mystery by Ann Cleeves

Who is your favorite fictional character from literature?

Harriet Vane of the Lord Peter Wimsey Mysteries by Dorothy L. Sayers. She’s married to a Lord who solves crimes, an Oxford scholar, and she writes mysteries!

Who are your literary heroes working today? Why do you admire them?

Louise Penny because of the depth of her characters within the defined setting of the remote village of Three Pines.

Catriona McPherson because of the tangible moods she creates in her standalone suspense novels.

Alexander McCall Smith because of the ultra slow pace and the charm of the Precious Ramotswe, owner of the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency in Botswana.

Ann Cleeves for the wonderful isolation of the setting that she paints into the soul of Vera Stanhope.

What’s your favorite thing about writing?

I love the aftereffects of having written — a sense of spiritual well-being and truehearted accomplishment. I’m officially addicted.

How do you like to spend a rainy day?

Lying on the couch with a hot cup of tea and a good book. Later in the day, I change the tea to wine. Even later, the wine changes to single malt whiskey. The reading bit never changes.

What scene in Etched in Tears was your favorite to write?

I loved writing the memorial celebration for the glass artist, Dennis Lansing held in the garden behind the Dali Museum. There were candles, speeches, singing, tears and a fight scene — such fun!

Do you have a motto, quote or philosophy you live by?

Persistence is the most powerful force on earth, it can move mountains. –Albert Einstein

Cheryl Hollon is the author of the new book Etched in Tears. 

Connect with Cheryl:
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